Who doesn’t love Joe Pesci? Yet there is a lot about the beloved actor that many people may not know.
Pesci is known for playing gangsters and criminals in his films, but did you know that he actually ended up entangled in a murder-for-hire investigation in real life?
Pesci’s ex-wife, model Claudia Haro, married stuntman Garrett Warren after her split from Joe. She and Warren divorced in 2000, and shortly thereafter, Warren was shot in the face by an unknown assailant at his front door. He survived, although he lost an eye.
Police eventually discovered that Haro had hired a hitman to kill her ex, and during the investigation, a witness implied that it was actually Joe who had paid the hitman. A thorough police investigation cleared Joe of any involvement; Claudia was found guilty and sentenced to twelve years in prison.
You’ve heard of the legendary pop rock group The Four Seasons, right? They of huge hits like “Sherry”, “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, “Walk Like a Man”, “Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You”, and “December 1963 (Oh, What a Night)”? It was because of Joe Pesci that they came to exist.
Growing up, Pesci was good friends with Frankie Valli, Tommy DeVito, and Nick Massi, and it was Joe who introduced the three to his other friend, Bob Gaudio. The four men would become The Four Seasons, with Gaudio being their primary songwriter.
Pesci’s character in Goodfellas was named, although not patterned, after his friend Tommy DeVito of The Four Seasons.
Speaking of Goodfellas, when Pesci won the Academy Award for his performance in that film, he gave one of the shortest acceptance speeches in Oscar history, just five words: “it’s my privilege, thank you”. When asked why so brief, Pesci admitted he had not prepared anything, because he had been certain he would not win.
Lastly, not sure how closely you’ve ever looked at Joe’s eyes, but if you look closely, you may notice that they are deep blue, but with a brown ring around each pupil.
Joe has heterochromia iridium, specifically central heterochromia, in which the eyes are two different colors: one dominant color, with a contrasting ring around the pupil. (I have central heterochromia as well, only blue with a hazel ring, so I feel a kinship with Joe.)
Anyway, those are a few things about Joe Pesci that you may not have known. Cheers!